Let's Go (Anti)Clubbing with Clayton Ruby! – Liveblogging the IFAW anti-seal hunt press conference
By kadyomalley - Tuesday, March 3, 2009 - 20 Comments
Gosh, this International Fund for Animal Welfare press conference seems to be getting more topical by the hour:
Media AdvisoryInternational Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Press ConferenceWHAT: Prominent Canadian lawyer, Clayton Ruby, will be presenting information on current and upcoming developments regarding Canada’s commercial seal hunt.WHO: Clayton Ruby, CM, LLD, with Dr David Lavigne PhD (IFAW)
3:52:49 PM
Apparently, the much-ballyhooed private bill to end the seal hunt was introduced in the Senate mere moments ago. According to the press release being circulated in the Charles Lynch Room, it shall e’er be known as the Harb Seal Bill, which is — actually a little confusing, considering that it is – or was – the Harp Seal that was most under threat from the hunt, but you know what? I have a feeling it was hard enough to find a senator brave enough to introduce it, so I doubt they were going to turn down Mac Harb because of his name.
Anyway, so far we’ve had a brief glimpse of Clayton Ruby as he sauntered through the room where the press conference will soon unfold, but so far, no sign of any big-eyed baby seals, or even seal-costume-wearing mascots, which is – probably for the best, actually. (I did manage to convince the IFAW people to hand over one of those adorable stuffed ones. Stuffed baby seals, that is. That were never alive, and – oh, you know what I mean.)
4:02:26 PM
And here we go – starting with David Lavigne, an IFAW scientist, who calls this “an historic afternoon” – for the first time ever, a Canadian politician has introduced legislation to end “the last Canadian sea mammal slaughter”. In other historic developments, the European Parliament has voted strongly in favour of a ban on commercial seal products, and finally, Russia – “another major sealing country” – is about to ban seals under one year. Er, the hunting of seals — I was going to correct that, but the idea of banning seals amused me. That’ll solve the problem!
4:05:47 PM
And – here’s Clayton Ruby!
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Stocks down (not what you think)
By John Geddes - Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at 1:09 PM - 2 Comments
Stephen Harper is about to speak to a smallish Tory crowd at the Coast Victoria Harbourside Hotel and Marina. The view here on this sunny day couldn’t be better. Just below the hotel where he’s speaking is the office of Orca Spirit Adventures whale watching company. (A few years back, I spent a memorable day on one of their boats, which I can see docked from where I’m writing.)
The location is important, given that today’s Victoria Times-Colonist features a front page story under the headline “Killer whales threatened by salmon shortage.” Salmon stocks are down, the whales aren’t getting enough to eat, and they are “losing blubber and developing strange behavioural patterns.”
Stock markets will bounce back, eventually. We know that, no matter how worried we get. But fish stocks? They have a way of collapsing permanently. In this case, the black and white whales would go with them. It would be helpful to know what the Fisheries and Oceans department has to say about today’s news in the local paper, which is based on reports from independent scientists.
But the Times-Colonist tells us that a DFO official said the federal government’s experts are not granting interviews during the election campaign. This strikes me as absurd. By the way, the Prime Minister will be talking about banks today.
